Bitcoin and Ethereum tick higher after weak July jobs report; FHFA signals crypto could qualify for mortgages

Market moves and macro trigger

Bitcoin opened at $64,259.68 on Friday, August 7, 2026 about 0.5% below Thursdays opening price then climbed through the morning, trading at $65,143.87 as of 9:02 a.m. ET. By 10:25:06 a.m. UTC the intraday quote shown on exchanges read $64,991.75, up modestly on the session.

Ethereum opened the day at $1,902.20, 0.2% lower than Thursdays open, and rose to $1,929.36 by 9:02 a.m. ET. A later intraday snapshot at 10:25:02 a.m. UTC showed ETH trading around $1,918.62.

Cryptocurrency markets were reacting to a softer-than-expected U.S. jobs report for July. Economists surveyed by Bloomberg had forecast roughly 80,000 new jobs, but the official release showed a loss of 23,000 jobs in July; the unemployment rate edged down to 4.1%. Investors often interpret weaker payrolls as lowering the odds of aggressive near-term Federal Reserve tightening, which can lift risk assets including crypto.

Prices, recent performance and context

At the opening on Friday, bitcoins price changes versus recent timeframes were small to negative: down 0.7% versus one week ago, up 0.4% versus one month ago, and down 44.1% versus a year earlier. Ethereums opening moves showed a similar short-term profile: -0.8% over the week, +5.8% over the month, and -48.4% year-over-year.

For historical perspective, bitcoins all-time high stood at $126,198.07 on Oct. 6, 2025; its earliest recorded low cited in market data was $0.04865 on July 14, 2010. Ethereums all-time high was $4,953.73 on Aug. 24, 2025, while an early low noted in data was $0.4209 on Oct. 21, 2015.

Beyond todays jobs-driven move, several policy and market developments are reshaping how crypto might be used in the broader economy. In late June the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) directed Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to prepare systems that would allow cryptocurrency to be counted as an asset when underwriting mortgages. FHFA Director William J. Pulte said the housing-finance system needs to catch up so people who own crypto can use it to buy homes like other assets.

That guidance has already started to produce products in the market: mortgage lenders and crypto firms have piloted crypto-backed or crypto-considered mortgage solutions in recent months. Those arrangements raise practical questions about valuation, custody, loan qualification, and tax treatment the latter being a reminder that most jurisdictions treat crypto sales, exchanges and some transfers as taxable events.

For traders and investors, the net effect of a weak payrolls print plus signals that the housing finance system may begin to accept crypto as mortgage collateral is a mix of shorter-term volatility and longer-term structural change. Lower near-term rate-hike risk can support risk assets, while changes to mortgage policy could broaden cryptos use cases if operational and regulatory issues are resolved.

Cryptocurrency markets remain fast-moving. Prices shown during the U.S. morning reflect a market that continues to trade on macroeconomic data, policy signals and evolving adoption stories. Investors should weigh volatility, tax consequences and platform/custody arrangements when considering exposure to bitcoin, ethereum or other digital assets.